Santalum
by Profumum

A minimalistic concoction of cinnamon, sandalwood and myrrh. Smells good and smells exactly like the sum of its parts. Spicy, woody and a bit resinous. Well crafted and honest (with the exception of the price which is anything but).

18th December, 2011.

(Vintage Version)
Profumum is run by a bunch of Dadaists who get a kick out of selling weird caricatures of perfumes for dead-serious prices. Santalum is a failure in this respect, as it is actually halfway decent, though it is not primarily a sandalwood fragrance and pretty synthetic as well, while its simple composition cries out for quality naturals. For the money, get yourself some real sandalwood from La Via del Profumo.

4th May, 2011.

Santalum is a sandalwood fragrance, unlike any sandalwood fragrance you'll try. Don't expect a woody or creamy sandalwood. The sandalwood in this almost smells like a spoiled tropical fruit, like a papaya. I'm not 100% sure, but the sandalwood might be of the Hawaiian island species. Not Indian or Australian. It almost has this off-putting pungent note in the top, a little weird, but intriguing at the same time.

With Santalum, you'll get a balance of sandalwood, myrrh and cinnamon. None of the notes overpower each other. The myrrh isn't incense-y, but gives Santalum a nice depth and darkness, a little dusty, while the cinnamon adds a little spice, and mainly warmth. It's linear, simple and balanced. I don't see this being an every day scent, due to its potency and un-complexity, you'll either get nose fatigue or get bored with it. Expect a very heavy, dark, thick, oily, one-spray only scent with Santalum.

As for the reformulation, the pale yellow juice, it used to be a dark brown/black, as dark as red wine. I found it to contain less sandalwood, due to its rare supply now. The myrrh lacking the depth and darkness it once had. It seems the myrrh now gives the scent a more airy aspect. Also, that brief weird note at the top is gone. On the positive side, I found the older formulation strictly a cold weather scent, but now it's versatile and light enough for any weather.

2nd February, 2011.

This is my favorite sandalwood to date and I love sandalwood! I'm not as happy with the reforumlation as I was with the original version but after all the alcohol gets out of the way, it is still quite wonderful. I wear this on days when my stress level is likely to be high as I find even a whiff of it to be very calming and smooth as silk. It is wood- but a vey highly polished wood- no rough edges here. It also lasts quite a long time- I applied it at 8 this morning and was still getting whiffs (and compliments) at 8 tonight from one spritz. Now that's staying power!

13rd December, 2009.

This fragrance is a perfect and simple combination of sandalwood, myrrh and cinnamon. The lasting power is excellent. In the Profumum collection, it's my favorite together with Olibanum. Santalum is much brighter than Olibanum and I keep it for my happy days. This scent is not for an introvert!

18th September, 2009.

I admire the depth and darkness of this. I don’t really think of it as sandalwood, but the sandalwood is there along with the other deep notes – the myrrh is especially notable and quite dominates. There is no sweetness that I can determine, neither the myrrh nor the cinnamon being of the sweet varieties. I can agree with those who say “medicinal,” but I don’t find that aromatic aura that I find in most medicinal accords – I find a clean, dry ponderousness of fragrance that is quite impressive. Santalum is linear; it has acceptable sillage; and it has excellent longevity especially when its final half-life as a skin scent is taken into consideration. In testing it, don’t look for a complex, pretty sandalwood; rather, expect a dark, masculine, almost dull non-aggressive dryness – something that many people might not care for. As for me, I find it intriguing.

23rd May, 2008.